Have You Ever Had Your Ducts Cleaned?

If not, you aren’t alone. But, that doesn’t mean you’re off
the hook. Homeowners across the country are realizing more and more the
benefits of having their ductwork professionally cleaned. Think about it—this
is a component of your HVAC system that gets almost consistent year-round use,
whether you’re using your air conditioner or your heater.

That’s a lot of air to pass through it, and therefore a lot
of potential for other things to pass through too—allergens, pollutants, mold
spores, and more. Sure, your ductwork is mostly hidden from sight, traveling
through spaces between walls and through the attic. But just because you can’t
see them doesn’t mean they don’t experience problems!

Why Does Ductwork Get Dirty?

Think about your home—you occasionally need to sweep and
vacuum, right? Well, dust and various airborne particles circulate through your
home during the year, and most of those pass through the ventilation system
multiple times.

You might be surprised to find that the average six-room
home can circulate up to 40 lbs. of dust in a year! This dander, dust, lint,
and more settles on the inner duct walls and starts to build-up. And the more build-up
is in your ducts, the faster it will accumulate as more particles get trapped.

The Benefits of Professional Duct Cleaning

You wouldn’t want your ductwork to get clogged up with dust
and dirt for the same reason you don’t want your air filter to get clogged up—your
air conditioner (or heater, for that matter) simply can’t operate as
effectively when it has obstructions. When you invest in professional duct
cleaning every few years, you’ll notice these benefits:

Improved Energy Efficiency: The debris that builds up inside your ductwork puts friction on airflow. This forces the blower of your HVAC system to work harder—and thus it drains more power. If you noticed your utility bills rising, the source may be clogged ductwork.

HVAC Damage Prevented: All the dust and other particles in the ventilation system can mean it gets inside the HVAC cabinet. This may damage motors and cause the condenser coil to freeze over, among other problems.

Cleaner, Fresher Home in General: Cleaning your ductwork eliminates a huge reservoir of dust and other debris you don’t want wafting around your home. Not only does cleaning the ducts help the home stay clean, but it also removes irritating contaminants from the air.

Be Sure to Call a Pro!

As we alluded to above, duct cleaning isn’t something you’ll need every year. If you’ve never had it done, you should definitely get it on your schedule ASAP, but after that, you can get away with getting this service done every few years.

What we definitely do not
recommend is that you try to clean your ducts on your own. This is a job
for professionals, who use powerful cleaning equipment to access the entire
ventilation network, and can do so without risking damage to your ductwork in
the meantime.